Wednesday, November 19, 2008

India or Bust...


So I am headed to Mumbai, India (fka Bombay) in January for about 10 weeks. I am excited/anxious about absorbing the culture, trying new things, and seeing some amazing places. In preparation, I am looking at some films, documentaries, books, etc. that might prepare me and/or educate me before I go. I've had the following suggested to me lately.

My sister Julie recommended the 1989 film Salaam Bombay about a boy forced to survive on his own in the slums of Bombay.

Matt recommended I read A Son of the Circus by John Irving, which is very timely as I have been wanting to read Irving for a while.

I picked up Born into Brothels, an honest look at child prostitution in India.

I also recently saw Danny Boyle's new film, Slumdog Millionaire.

What else might you recommend? Let me know and I can add it to my list!

2 comments:

Esther said...

Wow, what an incredible adventure! I can't say I've read or watched all that much about India. I loved Jhumpa Lahiri's "The Namesake," but that's more about Indian-Americans. In fact, most of the movies I've seen have been more about the Indian diaspora, "Bend it Like Beckham," or "Mississipi Masala," for instance.

Stella Louise said...

I second The Namesake rec--and I'd also suggest renting the movie version. Also, The Darjeeling Limited shows off India's color in Wes Anderson's unique way.